I needed a new battery and cable for my L2850 and when I attached the cable to the post the tractor started and it fried the wiring to one of the harnesses. After closer inspection, the lead that goes to the clutch safety had slipped off and the cable was making contact with the tab and arcing. The pic shows the wire nut melted. My question is what does that wire power? Is there a fuse that was possibly blown and could there be any other damage to any components?
L2850 battery problems
- Thread starter Trtr0611
- Start date
GreensvilleJay
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Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
YIKES... sure glad you didn't run over when it started !
1st item... get a proper wiring diagram for your tractor. Hopefully someone here with one like yours can help with that.
sounds like the PO 'bodged' a 'won't start' problem and made a MESS out of it...
1st item... get a proper wiring diagram for your tractor. Hopefully someone here with one like yours can help with that.
sounds like the PO 'bodged' a 'won't start' problem and made a MESS out of it...
North Idaho Wolfman
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That's the main power feed to the tractor there was supposed to be a fuse or a fusible link where the wire nut is.
You can get a replacement 40 amp maxi fuse and holder or a green fusible link at an auto parts store.
Looks like the wire going to the alternator got pretty hot.
Put a 40 amp Maxi fuse or green fusible link inline and if nothing pops you should be good.
You can get a replacement 40 amp maxi fuse and holder or a green fusible link at an auto parts store.
Looks like the wire going to the alternator got pretty hot.
Put a 40 amp Maxi fuse or green fusible link inline and if nothing pops you should be good.
There is a electrical wire nut tying two wires together. White or almost white in color.
This is a sign of a previous do it yourself job possibly the replacement of a fusible link.
If I am correct your tractor has been operating without serious electrical protection.
The color of the fusible liok wire indicates its ampere rating.
Dave
This is a sign of a previous do it yourself job possibly the replacement of a fusible link.
If I am correct your tractor has been operating without serious electrical protection.
The color of the fusible liok wire indicates its ampere rating.
Dave
I got a 40 amp fusible link at the auto parts store. The new battery cable I got is 2 gauge wire. They also had 4 gauge. Does that matter?
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
2 is better than 4, allows more current to flow with less voltage drop, so more power goes to 'stuff' like the starter.
I got everything connected and when I put the cable on the battery post it crackled a little and about 5 seconds later the alternator started smoking. I put new wire to the alternator because the old one was damaged. I’m the pic, you can see the 40amp fuse and the alternator wire. Not sure what the smaller red and white wires are. They are connected the same way before I was having trouble. The single red wire after the three terminals runs to a wire harness with a red/white wire. Everything other than the smaller wires are following the wiring diagram in tue manual. I’m not sure what’s going on but it’s getting really frustrating. I can take the hot wire off the starter and with the battery cable I can jump start off the solenoid. Any ideas? I’m running out myself.
Well I studied the wiring diagram and I have everything correctly wired. The 10 amp fuse to the panel regulator was blown so I replaced it. So the next thing I did was disconnect the alternator from the battery since it was smoking when I connected the cable. When I connected the cable again there was no crackling but there was something that clicked one time as the cable was connected. The engine did start normally. Before I changed the battery, when the key was in the on position, 3 of the 5 panel light were lit. Now when I turn the key to on, only the far right(low oil pressure) is lit. I also cleaned the ground connection at the frame. I’m still stumped why the alternator smokes when I connect it. The new battery is a little larger than the old one. Could that be the issue?
The battery is no issue, larger is better. That alternator may be spent, take it to a shop to have it tested, repaired or replaced.
And also the poles seem to be reversed on this tractor. The negative goes to the starter and the positive is ground. Is that normal?
No wonder you have issues, that is wrong. Install correctly and then see what else you damaged. There hasn't been positive ground on anything in years.
When I put the new battery on it I had it turned so that negative was ground. When I touched the cable from the starter to the battery, it threw sparks and put burn marks on the battery stud.
GreensvilleJay
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Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
sounds like it's the wrong style battery...some have an 'R' added to the number like 1024, 1024R.
The "R" means the posts are in opposite locations from the 'normal' battery
sadly alternator is probably pooched as well as any 'computer' unless it was designed/built right.
The "R" means the posts are in opposite locations from the 'normal' battery
sadly alternator is probably pooched as well as any 'computer' unless it was designed/built right.
You had some kind of load on the electrical system in order to have sparks when connecting the battery correctly, it may have been a short, something left on or a faulty component.
Apparently you reversed the poles while knowing there was a problem.
Apparently you reversed the poles while knowing there was a problem.
No sir. I’ve had this tractor for 5 yrs and never changed the battery. I assumed without checking the old battery, which was my mistake that the poles were normal. The tractor ran and started fine that way until recently. The mishap was when I connected a new cable to the starter and made contact with the solenoid tab which led to other issues. I’m not a mechanic as you can tell but I’m not paying someone to try and fix a 35 yr old tractor when I can try. If it becomes a permanent fixture on may place I guess I’ll plant flowers in it. Lol
North Idaho Wolfman
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L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
I typed this yesterday and it didn't send:
"Did you hook up the battery backwards at anytime?
Sounds like you have sorted out the alternator and regulator."
You're going to need to go through every component and light.
Lights you should be ok on, and switches too.
But regulators, timing relays, other relays, and alternators don't like to be hooked up backwards.
North Idaho Wolfman
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Equipment
L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
I’m not sure how many owned this tractor previously. It had 2900 hrs on it when I got it. The electrical system was very simplified by one of them. The light switch is gone, removed by a previous owner. The tail lights were both gone. Not sure how much of the panel actually works other than the tach and the temp gauge. The hot wire off the starter is missing a fuse and had been tied into the main power to the key switch, the alternator, and wires to the regulator. So whoever did that simplified everything. I’m pretty sure the alternator is toast and probably the regulator. So I don’t think there is much to check out. I’ve actually got somebody coming to possibly buy it tomorrow. Be a good project for somebody besides me. Lol